BOB STOOPS

Nick Saban joked he was focused. Saban was sitting in a bar, “Talk of the Town,” in Youngstown during a recruiting trip. We didn’t know what happened. The place got robbed, and we didn’t even know it. I don’t know if we were that focused, or we were just having the much fun talking football.”Saban, on Tuesday, re-iterated on Tuesday how focused they were.

Kennedy Brooks ran for 142 yards and three touchdowns as No. 14 Oklahoma rode a dominant first half to beat No. 15 Oregon 47-32 in the Alamo Bowl.

Oklahoma has hired Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables as its head coach to replace Lincoln Riley.

Bob Stoops spoke Monday, a day after being called off the golf course to take over as interim coach after Lincoln Riley left to take over at USC.

Several assistants, including Bill Bedenbaugh and Alex Grinch, will be joining Lincoln Riley's coaching staff at USC.

Southern California has hired Oklahoma’s Lincoln Riley to be its next coach in a stunning and rare move of one traditional college football powerhouse swiping the another’s highly accomplished head coach.

The spotlight shines on the Big Ten this week with three games sure to effect the division races and possibly the College Football Playoff.

FILE - USC quarterback Carson Palmer, right, smiles at the Heisman Trophy after being named the 2002 Heisman Trophy winner at The Yale Club in New York, in this Dec. 14, 2002, file photo. Heisman Trophy winner Carson Palmer and former Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops are among the 13 former players and coaches who make up the latest College Football Hall of Fame class. The National Football Foundation announced the newly elected hall of famers Monday, Jan. 11, 2021. (AP Photo/Suzanne Plunkett, File)Heisman Trophy winner Carson Palmer and former Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops are among the 13 former players and coaches who make up the latest College Football Hall of Fame class. He is the sixth Oklahoma coach to be inducted into the Atlanta-based Hall of Fame, including Bud Wilkinson and Barry Switzer.

8 Oklahoma beat 10th-ranked SEC runner-up Florida 55-20 on Wednesday night in the Cotton Bowl. Back in the same NFL stadium where 11 days earlier they won their sixth consecutive Big 12 title, the Sooners (9-2, No. The 55 points were their most ever in a bowl game, while piling up a Cotton Bowl-record 684 total yards. 1 Alabama in the SEC title game, and had averaged nearly 42 points a game. Oklahoma: With Rattler and Mims among the young standouts coming back, the Sooners could again be favored to win another Big 12 title.

Kansas State quarterback Skylar Thompson (10) passes in the first half of an NCAA college football game against Oklahoma Saturday, Sept. 26, 2020, in Norman, Okla. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki).

Kansas State quarterback Skylar Thompson (10) passes in the first half of an NCAA college football game against Oklahoma Saturday, Sept. 26, 2020, in Norman, Okla. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki). It was Kansas State's first-ever road win against a top-three team in the AP poll. Kansas State upset Oklahoma 48-41 in Manhattan, Kansas, last year. Kansas State said earlier in the week it was struggling to have enough players available at all position groups to play the game because of COVID-19. Kansas State's Jahron McPherson intercepted Rattler in the final minute to help close out the win.

FILE - In this Saturday, Nov. 9, 2019 file photo, Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley talks with players during an NCAA college football game between Iowa State and Oklahoma in Norman, Okla. As usual, Riley is taking his time naming a starting quarterback. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, File)

The Sooners are still considered the overwhelming favorite to win their sixth consecutive Big 12 crown overall because nobody has dethroned them with Riley there. Purdy last year set school records with 3,982 yards and 27 TDs passing, leading the Big 12 with 306.3 yards per game. Conference play begins Sept. 26, the start of an 11-week stretch for nine league games before the Big 12 title game Dec. 12 or Dec. 19, if an extra week is needed. Since this is only TCU's ninth season in the league, Patterson technically isn't the longest-tenured Big 12 coach. Former Oklahoma State quarterback Mike Gundy is in his 16th season as head coach for his alma mater.

The National Football Foundation announced Tuesday, June 16, 2020, the 78 players and seven coaches from major college who are up for selection to the Hall of Fame. (AP Photo/Kevin Rivoli, File)Georgia cornerback Champ Bailey, Syracuse defensive end Dwight Freeney and Kansas State running back Darren Sproles will appear on the College Football Hall of Fame ballot for the first time. The National Football Foundation on Tuesday announced the 78 players and seven coaches from major college football who are up for selection to the Atlanta-based Hall of Fame. There also are 99 players and 33 coaches from outside the highest level of college football eligible for induction. The College Hall of Fame class of 2021 will be announced early next year.